Absorbent articles can be worn around or near the body to contain exudates, such as urine, fecal matter, menses, sweat, blood, and the like. Absorbent articles for the containment of urine, fecal matter, or menses, in particular, may be shaped generally like underwear, in that the absorbent articles may have a waist opening and leg openings. For various reasons, purchasers of absorbent articles may prefer that the absorbent articles look and fit like underwear. For example, some users of absorbent articles may prefer to keep their incontinence or menstrual cycle private, and prefer absorbent articles which look like underwear to maintain discretion. Some users of absorbent articles may prefer the aesthetic appearance of underwear to the aesthetic appearance of absorbent articles. Some users, such as wearers or their caregivers, of absorbent articles may associate the appearance of underwear with common functional aspects of underwear, such as breathability, stretch, and skin feel. Absorbent articles that fit like underwear may be or may be perceived as being more comfortable, less prone to leakage, and more discreet.
It can be difficult to make an absorbent article look and fit like underwear, particularly if the absorbent article is of piecemeal construction. That is, while underwear may be constructed from a handful of components, such as a fabric and a few kinds of elastic, absorbent articles may be constructed from a dozen or even dozens of different components. One of the portions of an absorbent article that may be distinct in appearance and fit from underwear is the waist opening. While underwear may have a circumferentially continuous waistband with elastic properties encircling the wearer's waist, some absorbent articles, such as taped diapers, may have an open-waist structure that is closed when the absorbent article is applied to the wearer. The closure of an absorbent article may involve adhesives or mechanical fasteners, and may not have the same properties along the entire circumference of the waist opening. For example, an absorbent article may have an elastic waist feature only in the back waist region, or only in the front waist region.
While it is possible to add a continuous waistband around the entire waist opening of an absorbent article, doing so has drawbacks. For example, if the waistband is closed, it is no longer possible to provide a taped diaper configuration, which may be preferred by some users. If the waistband is left open and applied as a taped diaper, the elastic properties of the waistband may cause the laterally outboard edges of the waist opening to contract, which may make it difficult to apply the absorbent article to a wearer. If the waistband is applied to only portions of the waist opening, the piecemeal construction of the absorbent article may be evident, which may highlight the differences between the absorbent article and underwear, rather than downplaying the differences between the absorbent article and underwear.
There remains a need for an absorbent article having the appearance of a circumferentially continuous waistband, which provides elastic properties at desired locations, and maintains the ease of application of a taped diaper configuration.